Hold-down clamp structure for a foldable table



W. A. DIMICK April 3, 1956 HOLD-DOWN CLAMP STRUCTURE FOR A FOLDABLETABLE Filed May 18. 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR W|Nsl ow A. DIMICKwwwdmz ATTORNEYS April 3, 1956 w. A. DIMICK 2,740,681

HOLD-DOWN CLAMP STRUCTURE FOR A FOLDABLEI TABLE Filed May 18, 1953 5Sheets-Sheet 2 '"HHIHIII lnlllllllll fill lll l lllll lll Illlllllllll'INVENTOR.

WNSLOW A.D\MICK "By 1646? ATTORNEYS April 3, 1956 w. A. DIMICK 2,740,631

HOLD-DOWN CLAMP STRUCTURE FOR A FOLDABLE TABLE Filed May 18, 1953 3Sheets-Sheet 3 ""llllllllll 1/ 1/ X 1NVENTOR.

W| NSLOW A. DIMICK BY f,%

ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 3, 1956 free HOLD-DOWN CLAMP STRUCTURE FOR AFOLDABLE TABLE Winslow A. Dimick, North Sacramento, Calif.

Application May 18, 1953, Serial No. 355,810

1 Claim. (Cl. 311-91) The present invention relates to improvements in ahold-down structure for a foldable table. It consists of thecombinations, constructions, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved foldable table,which may be taken apart readily, with the disassembled parts adapted tobe formed into a compact unit. The unit thus provided occupies relativesmall space, and may he moved very easily from place to place. Likewise,the parts are adapted to be assembled into a sturdy table with littleeffort.

More specifically described, I provide a central leaf havinglaterally-disposed leaves hinged thereto. The lateral leaves arefoldable into upright position relative to the central leaf to enacttherewith in defining a channelshaped storage unit. The legs that areprovided for supporting the leaves may be folded into compactarrangements and placed in the storage space of the channel. The variousparts are retained in folded position by a clamp.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification continues.The novel features of the invention will be pointed out in the claimhereunto appended.

Drawings For a better understanding of my invention, reference should behad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, inwhich:

Figure l is a perspective view of a table embodying my invention, thetable being shown in inverted posh tion after being assembled, or readyfor disassembly;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the assembled table;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the plane IIIIII ofFigure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of that portion of the table enclosedwithin the circle IV shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line VV ofFigure 4;

Figure 6 is a plan view with the legs folded and nested within thechannel defined by the leaves of the table top;

Figure 7 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken along the lineVIl-VII of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one set of legs ar ranged in foldedposition.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should beunderstood that various changes, or modifications, may be made withinthe scope of the annexed claim without departing from the spiritthereof.

Detailed description In carrying my invention into practice, I provide afoldable table, including a table top indicated generally at A, and setsof foldable legs B detachably connected to the underneath surface of thetable top.

As shown in the drawings, the table top comprises a central leaf 10,intermediate leaves 11, and marginal leaves 12. The leaves 11 and 12 maybe regarded as being disposed laterally relative to the central leaf. Aplurality of hinges 14 extend across the width of the table top, andswingably connect the leaves together. All of these leaves may be swunginto a common plane, as disclosed in Figures 1 and 3 to provide a smoothsurface.

The sets of foldable legs B are identical with one another. Eachincludes a pair of legs 15, which are swingably connected togetherintermediate of their ends by bolts 16 and wing-nuts 17. When extended,these legs are arranged in crossing relation with each other. In Figure8, one set of legs are illustrated in folded position.

For the purpose of attaching the legs to the table top, I securespaced-apart recessed clips 18 to the underneath surface of the marginalleaves 12. Brackets 19 are attached to the upper ends of the legs 15.Each bracket has a tongue 20 projecting therefrom, with the tongue ofone bracket extending in the opposite direction from the other. Thesetongues are disposed for removably telescoping into the recesses of theclips 18 when the upper ends of the legs are separated (see Figures 1and 3-5).

Cross pieces 21 bear against and support the table top When the table isassembled. These pieces are fastened to the upper ends of the legs 15 toprovide a tie member therebetween for retaining the tongues 20 in theclips 18. in each set of legs, the cross piece is permanently secured bya bolt or rivet 22 to the upper end of one of the legs. A bolt 23 andwing nut 24 are employed for removably fastening the upper end of theother leg in the same set to the cross piece. Figure I shows a chain 25connect ing the cross piece to the nut 24 to prevent the latter frombeing lost when it is removed.

in order to impart the necessary rigidity to the assemhicd table, Iprovide a pair of angularly-related braces 26, which extend between thetable top A and the sets of icgs B (see Figure 2). The outer ends ofthese braces are bifurcated at 27 so as to straddle the bolts 16. Thewingnuts 17 clamp these ends of the braces to the legs B, while theinner ends of the braces are anchored to a bolt 23. This bolt passesthrough ears 29 formed on the straps of the central hinge 14 (seeFigures 1, 2 and 7). Thus the braces are anchored to the central leaf ofthe table.

It will be noted that a stirrup 30 is fastened to the bolt 28 so as toproject from the central leaf 10. An eycboh 31 is attached to thisstirrup by a transverse pin 32 projecting laterally from opposing sidesof the stirrup. When the sets of legs B are folded, as illustrated inFigure 8, they may be positioned on opposite sides of the stirrup 30, asshown in Figures 6 and 7. The pin 32 extends through openings 33provided in the cross pieces 21. Thus the legs B are held in place.

Referring more particularly to Figures 6 and 7, the hinges 14 arearranged to allow the marginal leaves 12 to be folded over intermediateleaves 11. Also, both the marginal and intermediate leaves may be swungon the hinges into upright position relative to the central leaf 1% toenact therewith in defining a channel-shaped unit. The folded legs 8 arenested within the channel C of the folded table.

The leaves are retained in their thus folded position by a clamping bar34, which is slidably mounted on the eyeoolt 31 to extend across thechannel C. This bar is fashioned with channelshaped hooked ends 35engaging over the exposed upper edges of the lateral leaves l112 to holdthese leaves folded. A wing nut 36 is threaded on the shank end of thecyebolt 31 to urge the clamping bar 34 toward the central leaf 10 of thetable top.

Summary of operation In assembling my table, it will be found convenientto open the leaves 10-12 until they occupy a common plane, and placethem in an inverted position upon the floor or ground, as suggested inFigure 1 of the drawings.

Next, the sets of legs B are opened up, and the. normal upper ends ofthe legs 15 are spread apart, with the tongues 20 telescoping into therecessed clips 18. Now the bolts 23 are inserted through openings 23aformed in the cross pieces 21 (see Figures 2, 5 and 8), and the wingnuts 24 are applied to these bolts. At this time, the cross pieces willrest against the leaves forming the table top.

As the next step, the bifurcated ends 27 of the braces 26 are engagedover the bolts 16, and wing nuts 17 are tightened. This completes theassembling steps, whereupon the table is turned into its normal uprightposition as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

During the folding operation, the table may be inverted again, as shownin Figure l, to facilitate the steps. The wing nuts 24 are removed asthe next step, followed by withdrawal of the bolts 23 from the crosspieces 21.

After retracting the tongues 20 from the clips 18, the sets of legs Bare folded until the legs 15 and the cross pieces 21 are substantiallyparallel with one another, as disclosed in Figure 8.

Now the marginal leaves 12 are folded over the intermediate leaves 11 towhich they are hinged. Thereafter, the leaves 11-12 are raised intoupright position relative to the central leaf 10, producing achannel-shaped unit. The sets of folded legs are introduced into thechannel C,

with one set arranged on each side of the stirrup 30, and l thetransverse pin 32 projecting through the openings 33 of the crosspieces.

The clamping bar 34 is lowered at this time, with the hooked ends 35thereof engaging over the upper exposed edges of the laterally-disposedleaves 1l 12. Tightening of the wing nut 36 will move the bardownwardly, clamping the leaves in folded position,

It will be apparent that my foldable table is quite simple inconstruction, affording a compact unit when folded, and producing asubstantial table upon being assembled. the assembling or disassemblingthereof may be accomplished with great rapidity.

1 claim:

In a holddown clamp structure for a foldable table: a stirrup secured toa central leaf of a foldable table top; an cyebolt anchored to thestirrup and projecting upwardly oi-tween laterally-disposed leaves whichare hinged to opposing edges of the central leaf, when the lateralleaves are folded into upright position relative to the central leaf;and a clamping bar slidably mounted on the eyebolt and being movableinto a position extending across upper exposed edges of the lateralleaves; the clamping bar having channel-shaped ends adapted for engagingover said upper edges of the lateral leaves to hold the latter folded;and a nut threaded on an upper end of the cycbolt above the clampingbar, and being adjustable thereon for moving the clamping bar towardsthe central leaf and into clamping relation with the lateral leaves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 98,079Mayer Dec. 21, 1869 316,142 Gordon Apr. 21, 1885 1,052,329 Elliott Feb.4, 1913 1,094,227 Lotz Apr. 21, 1914 1.413706 Cadwell Apr. 5, 19221.618.327 Dewey Feb. 22, 1927 2,233,202 Finch Feb. 25, 1941 2,279,122Kovalchuck Apr. 7, 1942 2,291,967 Keahey Aug. 4, 1942 2,602,718 BrandonJuly 8, 1952 2,699,977 Breslow Jan. 18, 1955

